By Sally Pobojewski
News and Information Services
Several hundred U-M students, alumni, faculty and guests gathered on North Campus under a bright blue sky last Friday, drawn by the memory and spirit of a young man most of them never even knew.
The occasion was the formal dedication of a new $15-million aerospace engineering teaching and research facility—the François-Xavier Bagnoud Building. Bagnoud, who received his undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering in 1982, was killed in a helicopter crash at age 24 in 1986.
“We are here to recall the bright spirit of a young man whose potential was lost to the world too soon,” said Peter M. Banks, dean of the College of Engineering.
The new building was funded primarily by major gifts from private foundations and individuals and corporate donors in the U.S. aerospace industry.
The largest gift of $5.2 million was given by the Association François-Xavier Bagnoud—a foundation established in memory of Bagnoud by his mother, Albina du Boisrouvray of Geneva, Switzerland. The association supports humanitarian, scientific, cultural and educational causes that were important to Bagnoud during his lifetime.
Major corporate donors to the FXB Building include the Boeing Co., General Dynamics Corp., Lockheed Corp. and Rockwell International Corp.
“This building will be a symbol of past and future generations of scholars,” said President James J. Duderstadt. “Because of this extremely generous gift, the love of a mother for her son will nurture generations of future aerospace engineers and make a lasting impact on society.”
During the dedication ceremony, Thomas J. Adamson, Jr., professor emeritus of aerospace engineering, thanked du Boisrouvray for “this great gift that has come to us from François-Xavier through you.”
“François was so happy here; he loved his friends and the faculty. I know he would have wanted to make a difference to the University,” said du Boisrouvray.
“When you walk through this wonderful new building which embodies the dream of every aerospace student, please remember that in the 1980s a brilliant and beautiful young man studied here,” she added. “Remember François’ work and remember his life.”
Designed by the architectural firm of Smith, Hinchman & Grylls Associates Inc., the four-story building features one level underground and three above. A glass-covered atrium above an interior ground-floor walkway rises through all three above-ground floors and serves as the heart of the FXB Building.
The 93,400-square-foot facility includes 30 teaching and research laboratories, a 156-seat lecture hall, three additional classrooms, 30 faculty/staff offices, 30 graduate student offices and a student lounge. The building was designed to support the work of 25 faculty members, 15 staff members and 500 aerospace engineering students.
The FXB Building includes sophisticated laboratory and computer facilities for advanced research on aircraft and spacecraft, and aerospace sciences. Four blast-resistant hardened laboratories will be used for research on high- energy propellants and combustion.
New instructional laboratories in the building will be used by undergraduates for aerospace instrumentation and measurement courses. New wind tunnels in the Edward A. Stalker Subsonic Wind Tunnel Laboratory will be available for student coursework and independent study.
